Bar None: West Ward happy to be free of bars

TRENTON — Unlike other areas in the city, the West Ward feels like Prohibition times.

The Stuyvesant Inn, the 2x4, the Corner Inn, the Horseshoe Bar and the after-hours club Mr. P’s have all gone the way of the woolly mammoth. Due to this dying breed, there are currently no licensed bars in the district.

Carters Liquor Store on Oakland Street is the only registered establishment to sell any booze in the West Ward, according to the city clerk’s office.

But some West Ward residents are not drinking their sorrows away elsewhere for the lack of establishments with spirits in the district.

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“I think we have far too many bars and liquor stores in the city for the little less than 8 square miles that we have,” said Annette Lartigue, a nearly 20-year West Ward resident. “Not having any bars in the ward is a plus.”

There are currently 126 liquor licenses combined for bars, liquor stores and nightclubs in the city.

Lartigue says there is still crime in the ward, but the nuisances that come with bars — such as broken bottles, fighting and inappropriate behavior — have evaporated.

The West Ward includes the prestigious Hiltonia and Cadwalader Park. It has shrunk in size throughout the years, due to the North Ward losing population and boundary lines being withdrawn.

There is debate about the last bar to host the “Open” sign in its window. Some claim it’s the 2x4, named for its small size, while others contend it was a liquor license purchased by the Union Baptist Church on Reservoir Street.

What is known is no licensed bar has poured a pint of draft beer there for approximately a decade.

Councilman Zachary Chester has lived in the West Ward for 13 years. He doesn’t even remember a bar being in the West Ward since living there, but is happy there aren’t a bunch of bars in his district.

“I don’t believe the West Ward residents would want bars in their neighborhoods,” the councilman said. “If there was a bar being proposed, I as the elected in the official in the West Ward, I would want to hear from the residents.”

When asked if he wants the amount of bars to decrease in the city, Chester responded, “We would like for our existing bars to comply with our laws.”

Lartigue said she would like to see a reduction of drinking establishments in because the “city is overrun with bars and liquor stores.”

“I’d like to see more family-oriented businesses and a lot less liquor stores,” she said. “People could be irresponsible when inebriated.”

A group of people loitered Friday outside the last-standing West Ward liquor store, which is across the street from public housing.

Inside Carters, one man operated the register and another man was behind the counter. Mariachi music was blaring from the speakers.

Mostly inexpensive and off-brand liquors line the shelves. The man behind the counter said the owner has operated the lone liquor store for 18 years.

In a phone call, the owner disputed Carters was the only liquor store in the West Ward, but declined further comment.